Drilbur (BW2 Update)

63194

OK, so I don't want to edit Drilbur too majorly because the current writeup is really solid, just a little out of date. Instead what we're going to do it discuss edits in this thread, and then I'll write them in, and if needed they can be "gp'd." I'm not going to insist this be pushed through QC or GP or anything since it pretty much already has been, I just want to make sure big names are all on the same page with this analysis.

[Overview]

<p>Offensive sandstorm would mayhaps not be a viable strategy in Little Cup save for one Pokemon: Drilbur. Due to the ability Sand Rush, Drilbur is able to attain a blazing Speed stat, easily outpacing the entire boosted tier and most of the tier at +2. Its Attack stat also shows great potential, hitting the enviable stat of 19 when maxed. What's more, Drilbur has the vast movepool to back up such offensive prowess, including Swords Dance, Earthquake, Rapid Spin, and a whole mess of coverage moves. Indeed, it would seem that the mole would have a field day shredding the faces of cute little Pokemon, but the introduction of Eviolite has granted many baby behemoths even more defensive potential. While Drilbur is by no means a perfect Pokemon, it can bring massive utility and damage to all sandstorm-based teams, garnering revenge kills with ease and causing predictable moves on the opponent's part. Just remember, where there's a drill, there's a way.</p>

<p>Drilbur is essentially the big guns on a sandstorm team, and this set aims to make the most of that. With a whopping 32 Speed during the sandstorm, Drilbur has the potential to revenge kill a vast portion of the tier. This is backed up by a mammoth 19 Attack, which allows Drilbur's coverage options to really shine. Earthquake is undoubtedly Drilbur's best STAB move, denting opponents that do not resist it early-game and cleaning up late-game. Rock Slide grants fantastic coverage alongside Earthquake, notably granting the OHKO on most Taillow and Doduo, along with any Choice Scarf Murkrow that are unable to Sucker Punch. Shadow Claw rounds out the coverage by nailing levitating Ghost-types, such as Misdreavus, Gastly, and even the occasional Duskull.</p>

<p>With such great three move coverage, Drilbur has some wiggle room for the final slot. Rapid Spin provides fantastic utility for the team and Drilbur itself, who is vulnerable to all three forms of entry hazards; such residual damage stacks up quite quickly in conjunction with Life Orb. However, if Shroomish is getting you down, X-Scissor can be a nasty surprise for it and the other more rare Grass-types.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While one may desire to hit maximum Speed via a Jolly nature, Drilbur already outpaces the entire unboosted tier and greatly prefers the boost in power. The EV spread provides the most offensive potential possible, which is all Drilbur should really be concerned with when utilizing Life Orb. The last slot can obviously be manipulated to best suit the team; Protect can solve problems with Fake Out users, while Substitute can get around prediction wars against Murkrow.</p>

<p>Hippopotas is obviously a necessary teammate for this set, as Drilbur absolutely needs sandstorm support if it is going to pull off a sweep. Fortunately, Hippopotas can also provide Stealth Rock, which will prove useful in aiding the sweep. It also sponges hits from defensive Mienfoo quite nicely, making it an even more desirable teammate. Lileep is another good Pokemon for a sandstorm core, providing an immunity to Water-type attacks and a resistance to Grass-type attacks. Ferroseed works in a similar vein but typically sponges physical attacks instead of special ones. Vullaby can be a good defensive teammate, as can Slowpoke or Frillish, due to its ability to repeatedly switch in and take hits from defensive Pokemon; all three Pokemon can pack status moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Will-O-Wisp that will greatly aid a Drilbur sweep.</p>

<p>Swords Dance turns any Pokemon with incredible Speed and Attack into even more of a threat, and so this move is unquestionably a good option for Drilbur. While this Drilbur can easily spam Earthquake early game to do some nice damage, it really shines in the mid- to late-game phases, where one surprise Swords Dance can easily tip the scales in your favor. After a Swords Dance, Drilbur hits 38 Attack and 32 Speed, which dwarfs any other physical sweeper in the metagame. Drilbur can afford to use Eviolite with this, as well, in order to ensure a setup against a weaker or defensive Pokemon. With Earthquake and Rock Slide, Drilbur has the power and coverage to OHKO the vast majority of the tier after a single boost. Shadow Claw amplifies this effect, netting the OHKO on the otherwise problematic defensive Misdreavus. There are some other boons, as well, such as having a 100% accurate attack against Natu. Protect is another fantastic option in the last slot, as it ensures Mienfoo will not be able to repeatedly Fake Out and take advantage of Regenerator to KO Drilbur.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Typically, this variant of Drilbur will have less time to Rapid Spin, so this move is typically foregone in favor of a coverage move or Protect. X-Scissor deserves a mention as an option in the last slot to lure in and eliminate the occasional Shroomish, but it is worth mentioning that Shroomish is nowhere near as common as Misdreavus. The core of a Water-type in conjunction with a Grass-type is a strong choice to provide a good defensive backing for Drilbur; either Slowpoke and Lileep or Ferroseed and Frillish is a good idea. Hippopotas is once again a necessity, as one cannot rely on the opponent to pack sandstorm if he or she wishes to consistently sweep with Drilbur. This specific Drilbur enjoys having teammates that can dent the opponent's team very early on. Murkrow is one of the best examples of this; with its great Speed, STABs, and movepool, the opponent will be forced to exhaust their physically defensive Pokemon rather early on, perhaps forcing them to remain in the range of a Drilbur KO. Pokemon with a slower U-turn or Volt Switch, such as Larvesta, minimum Speed Mienfoo, and Chinchou, also allow Drilbur to get the easy setup it desires.</p>

<p>Eviolite is typically not a problem if one is using three coverage moves, but if Protect is being used, one may want to consider Life Orb. Life Orb allows massive damage after a Swords Dance on neutral attacks, which can be useful against Misdreavus, who will fall to Rock Slide at +2 provided one can net about 20% in prior damage. Life Orb also guarantees the OHKO against maximum Defense Lileep, but this is useless if Drilbur cannot attain the Swords Dance that Eviolite would normally ensure.</p>

<p>Although Drilbur is generally found alongside its trusty partner, Hippopotas, it doesn't really need the hippo to succeed in Little Cup. Drilbur's excellent Attack stat, useful secondary ability, and Eviolite allow it to function and thrive without Sand Rush. Earthquake is a must on any Drilbur set. It's Drilbur's best STAB move and hits nearly all of LC hard; even Misdreavus and Bronzor are 2HKOed because Mold Breaker negates their Levitate ability. Rock Slide provides excellent neutral coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting Flying-type Pokemon such as Murkrow that are immune to Earthquake. Rock Slide is also useful for scoring a lucky flinch if needed. Rapid Spin is a useful move for clearing away entry hazards, ensuring that all of your Pokemon have an easier time switching in and out. With Mold Breaker, Drilbur can defeat Misdreavus and Natu, something no other Rapid Spin user in LC can do. Finally, Stealth Rock rounds off the set because Drilbur can force plenty of switches as most Pokemon are afraid of Earthquakes and Rock Slides from one of the most devastating and dominant Pokemon in Little Cup. Remember, unlike other Stealth Rock users, Drilbur doesn't have to fear Natu as Mold Breaker ignores the effects of Magic Bounce.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As mentioned earlier, Mold Breaker is essential to this set's success. With Mold Breaker, Drilbur is able to defeat Pokemon such Misdreavus and Bronzor; the aforementioned Pokemon are not only common switch-ins to Drilbur, they're also both 2HKOed by Earthquake. The given EVs take advantage of Drilbur's good Speed and Attack stats, while Eviolite makes Drilbur bulkier. The given EVs and a Jolly nature ensure that Drilbur is able to Speed tie with neutral-natured Natu, standard Mienfoo, Scraggy, and Larvesta. Additionally, Drilbur can deal hefty damage to all of the aforementioned Pokemon with a STAB Earthquake, with the exception of Larvesta, which is OHKOed by Rock Slide.</p>

<p>As far as teammates go, Drilbur is going to need two types of Pokemon: offensive Pokemon that appreciate entry hazards removed and bulky attackers that can take on Drilbur's checks. Murkrow, albeit one of the most feared and versatile Pokemon in Little Cup, despises Stealth Rock. Drilbur has no problem spinning away Stealth Rock, even if there's an enemy Misdreavus trying to spinblock. Larvesta, one of the premier Fighting-type checks in LC, has an even more crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, and is susceptible to Spikes and Toxic Spikes; have no fear, Drilbur is there to remove all three entry hazards. Drifloon, a great mixed attacker in Little Cup, also abhors Stealth Rock. I'm sure you get the point; Drilbur's spinning prowess ensures that any offensive Pokemon will not have to worry about entry hazards. Additionally, Drilbur has trouble against the myriad of Fighting-types in LC as they're generally bulkier than Drilbur and can fire back a strong attack. Thus, Larvesta and Drifloon are good Drilbur partners as they can switch into most Fighting-types with little fear, such as Mienfoo without Stone Edge. Because Water-types such as Chinchou and Staryu outspeed Drilbur, teammates that can defeat and switch into Water-types are also good partners; these include Snover, which appreciates the removal of Stealth Rock, Croagunk, and Ferroseed.</p>

<p>As far as moveset changes go, Drilbur doesn't have too many other options. Toxic is useful for crippling Lileep and Mienfoo, two common Drilbur switch-ins that can defeat the mole. Toxic should really only be used if your team is already utilizing another Stealth Rock user. Replacing Rock Slide leaves Drilbur vulnerable to Flying-types such as Murkrow while replacing Rapid Spin diminishes the usefulness of the set and is not playing to Drilbur's strength as an incredible offensive spinner. X-Scissor is useful for Shroomish, another common Drilbur switch-in that has no problem taking a Rock Slide and destroying Drilbur with Giga Drain, or putting it to sleep with Spore.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sand Force is gimmicky at best; Drilbur already has fantastic Attack, and it needs the Speed boost in order to garner kills. Jolly is almost not worth a mention; the only notable advantage is hitting the same Speed as Drifloon after it gains a boost via Unburden; most of the time, Drifloon will either straight up win that match up or Sucker Punch just to be safe. Substitute is worth a mention on almost any set, and a defensive set could even be vouched for wherein Drilbur repeatedly uses Substitute and Protect to wear down enemies. Toxic can be a nasty surprise for switch-ins such as Lileep and Snover, but a well built sandstorm team will almost always prefer an extra coverage move rather than the utility from such a move. The idea of using Drilbur's sweeper sets outside of sandstorm is gimmicky at best; Hippopotas simply does not show up in battles often enough to merit such a playstyle and there are bulkier set up sweepers such as Scraggy who function equally well under normal weather.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Due to the sheer amount of damage Drilbur can do, it is not uncommon for teams to pack a slot dedicated to countering it. Bronzor is the most common choice, as it takes neutral damage from any of Drilbur's attacks at best, and possesses an immunity through Levitate to Drilbur's STAB. Grass-types are the next most common choice; Shroomish and Lileep can both take a hit pretty easily, and Ferroseed can typically come out on top against Drilbur despite lacking reliable recovery. Choice Scarf Snover will change the weather and then outspeed Drilbur, meaning that Hippopotas must be carefully guarded if one is against a Snover. Ponyta doesn't change the weather automatically, but it does have access to Sunny Day; unfortunately, it struggles to find a time to switch into Drilbur. Priority can wear down Life Orb variants of Drilbur rather quickly. Mienfoo and Croagunk can easily utilize Fake Out; Timburr has a powerful Mach Punch (especially at +1); Tirtouga has Sturdy, gains a Special Defense boost in sandstorm, and has Aqua Jet; Murkrow has STAB Sucker Punch. Bulky Water-types, such as Frillish and Slowpoke, can usually take on Drilbur if it is not packing Shadow Claw, and Unaware Wooper can cancel out Drilbur's boosts.</p>

What I want to do is get a list of small changes we'd like to make, so I can implement them. I'm going to list each section of the above analysis, and people can comment on changes they think should be made to each section:

[Overview]
- This is fine as is and I don't think it should be changed at all.

<p>Offensive sandstorm would mayhaps not be a viable strategy in Little Cup save for one Pokemon: Drilbur. Due to the ability Sand Rush, Drilbur is able to attain a blazing Speed stat, easily outpacing the entire boosted tier and most of the tier at +2. Its Attack stat also shows great potential, hitting the enviable stat of 19 when maxed. What's more, Drilbur has the vast movepool to back up such offensive prowess, including Swords Dance, Earthquake, Rapid Spin, and a whole mess of coverage moves. Indeed, it would seem that the mole would have a field day shredding the faces of cute little Pokemon, but the introduction of Eviolite has granted many baby behemoths even more defensive potential. While Drilbur is by no means a perfect Pokemon, it can bring massive utility and damage to all sandstorm-based teams, garnering revenge kills with ease and causing predictable moves on the opponent's part. Just remember, where there's a drill, there's a way.</p>

<p>Drilbur is essentially the big guns on a sandstorm team, and this set aims to make the most of that. With a whopping 32 Speed during the sandstorm, Drilbur has the potential to revenge kill a vast portion of the tier. This is backed up by a mammoth 19 Attack, which allows Drilbur's coverage options to really shine. Earthquake is undoubtedly Drilbur's best STAB move, denting opponents that do not resist it early-game and cleaning up late-game. X-Scissor allows Drilbur to badly damage common Grass-type switch-ins, such as Lileep, Snover, and Shroomish. It's also Drilbur's strongest attack against Bronzor. Alternatively, Rock Slide grants fantastic coverage alongside Earthquake, notably granting the OHKO on most Taillow and Doduo, along with any Choice Scarf Murkrow that are unable to Sucker Punch. Shadow Claw rounds out the coverage by nailing levitating Ghost-types, such as Misdreavus, Gastly, and even the occasional Duskull.</p>

<p>With such great three move coverage, Drilbur has some wiggle room for the final slot. Rapid Spin provides fantastic utility for the team and Drilbur itself, who is vulnerable to all three forms of entry hazards; such residual damage stacks up quite quickly in conjunction with Life Orb. However, if Shroomish is getting you down, X-Scissor can be a nasty surprise for it and the other more rare Grass-types.However, Rock Slide can be used if Rapid Spin isn't needed and one doesn't want to choose between X-Scissor or Rock Slide.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While one may desire to hit maximum Speed via a Jolly nature, Drilbur already outpaces the entire unboosted tier and greatly prefers the boost in power. The EV spread provides the most offensive potential possible, which is all Drilbur should really be concerned with when utilizing Life Orb. The last slot can obviously be manipulated to best suit the team; Protect can solve problems with Fake Out users, while Substitute can get around prediction wars against Murkrow.</p>

<p>Hippopotas is obviously a necessary teammate for this set, as Drilbur absolutely needs sandstorm support if it is going to pull off a sweep. Fortunately, Hippopotas can also provide Stealth Rock, which will prove useful in aiding the sweep. It also sponges hits from defensive Mienfoo quite nicely, making it an even more desirable teammate. Lileep is another good Pokemon for a sandstorm core, providing an immunity to Water-type attacks and a resistance to Grass-type attacks. Ferroseed works in a similar vein but typically sponges physical attacks instead of special ones. Vullaby can be a good defensive teammate, as can Slowpoke or Frillish, due to its ability to repeatedly switch in and take hits from defensive Pokemon; all three Pokemon can pack status moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Will-O-Wisp that will greatly aid a Drilbur sweep. Sandshrew, the only other LC Pokemon with Sand Rush, can be paired with Drilbur to form a powerful offensive duo. It can either lure out and weaken Drilbur's checks or clean up after Drilbur has done so for it.</p>

<p>As Snover is undoubtedly the biggest enemy to Drilbur&mdash;and to sandstorm teams as a whole&mdash;at least one Pokemon that can remove it is almost as necessary as Hippopotas. Pursuit users that aren't afraid of Snover are the best options. For example, Pawniard and Houndour both resist Blizzard and Giga Drain, and can either badly damage Snover with STAB Pursuit or KO it outright with Iron Head or Fire Blast respectively. Munchlax doesn't resist Giga Drain, but with Thick Fat and its special bulk it can easily tank Snover's attacks while attacking with either Fire Punch or Pursuit.</p>

<p>Swords Dance turns any Pokemon with incredible Speed and Attack into even more of a threat, and so this move is unquestionably a good option for Drilbur. While this Drilbur can easily spam Earthquake early game to do some nice damage, it really shines in the mid- to late-game phases, where one surprise Swords Dance can easily tip the scales in your favor. After a Swords Dance, Drilbur hits 38 Attack and 32 Speed, which dwarfs any other physical sweeper in the metagame. Drilbur can afford to use Eviolite with this, as well, in order to ensure a setup against a weaker or defensive Pokemon. With Earthquake and Rock Slide, Drilbur has the power and coverage to OHKO the vast majority of the tier after a single boost. Shadow Claw amplifies this effect, netting the OHKO on the otherwise problematic defensive Misdreavus. There are some other boons, as well, such as having a 100% accurate attack against Natu. Protect is another fantastic option in the last slot, as it ensures Mienfoo will not be able to repeatedly Fake Out and take advantage of Regenerator to KO Drilbur.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Typically, this variant of Drilbur will have less time to Rapid Spin, so this move is typically foregone in favor of a coverage move or Protect. X-Scissor deserves a mention as an option in the last slot to lure in and eliminate the occasional Shroomish, but it is worth mentioning that Shroomish is nowhere near as common as Misdreavus. Protect is another fantastic option in the last slot, as it ensures that Mienfoo will not be able to repeatedly Fake Out&mdash;and take advantage of Regenerator in the process&mdash;to KO Drilbur. The core of a Water-type in conjunction with a Grass-type is a strong choice to provide a good defensive backing for Drilbur; either Slowpoke and Lileep or Ferroseed and Frillish is a good idea. Hippopotas is once again a necessity, as one cannot rely on the opponent to pack sandstorm if he or she wishes to consistently sweep with Drilbur. For this reason, Pokemon that can eliminate Snover are also important. Pawniard, Houndour, and Munchlax all deserve mention for their access to Pursuit and ability to tank Snover's more powerful attacks.</p>

<p>This specific Drilbur enjoys having teammates that can dent the opponent's team very early on. Murkrow is one of the best examples of this; with its great Speed, STABs, and movepool, the opponent will be forced to exhaust their physically defensive Pokemon rather early on, perhaps forcing them to remain in the range of a Drilbur KO. Pokemon with a slower U-turn or Volt Switch, such as Larvesta, minimum Speed Mienfoo, and Chinchou, also allow Drilbur to get the easy setup it desires. Sandshrew deserves a special mention, as it can run a similar set to the above with Sand Rush; when paired with Drilbur, Sandshrew can wear down its counters or clean up after it has been KOed.</p>

<p>Eviolite is typically not a problem if one is using three coverage moves, but if Protect is being used, one may want to consider Life Orb. Life Orb allows massive damage after a Swords Dance on neutral attacks, which can be useful against Misdreavus, who will fall to Rock Slide at +2 provided one can net about 20% in prior damage. Life Orb also guarantees the OHKO against maximum Defense Lileep, but this is useless if Drilbur cannot attain the Swords Dance that Eviolite would normally ensure.</p>

<p>Although Drilbur is generally found alongside its trusty partner, Hippopotas, it doesn't really need the hippo to succeed in Little Cup. Drilbur's excellent Attack stat, useful secondary ability, and Eviolite allow it to function and thrive without Sand Rush. Earthquake is a must on any Drilbur set. It's Drilbur's best STAB move and hits nearly all of LC hard; even Misdreavus and Bronzor are 2HKOed because Mold Breaker negates their Levitate ability. Rock Slide provides excellent neutral coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting Flying-type Pokemon such as Murkrow that are immune to Earthquake. Rock Slide is also useful for scoring a lucky flinch if needed. Rapid Spin is a useful move for clearing away entry hazards, ensuring that all of your Pokemon have an easier time switching in and out. With Mold Breaker, Drilbur can defeat Misdreavus and Natu, something no other Rapid Spin user in LC can do. Finally, Stealth Rock rounds off the set because Drilbur can force plenty of switches as most Pokemon are afraid of Earthquakes and Rock Slides from one of the most devastating and dominant Pokemon in Little Cup. Remember, unlike other Stealth Rock users, Drilbur doesn't have to fear Natu as Mold Breaker ignores the effects of Magic Bounce.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As mentioned earlier, Mold Breaker is essential to this set's success. With Mold Breaker, Drilbur is able to defeat Pokemon such Misdreavus and Bronzor; the aforementioned Pokemon are not only common switch-ins to Drilbur, they're also both 2HKOed by Earthquake. The given EVs take advantage of Drilbur's good Speed and Attack stats, while Eviolite makes Drilbur bulkier. The given EVs and a Jolly nature ensure that Drilbur is able to Speed tie with neutral-natured Natu, standard Mienfoo, Scraggy, and Larvesta. Additionally, Drilbur can deal hefty damage to all of the aforementioned Pokemon with a STAB Earthquake, with the exception of Larvesta, which is OHKOed by Rock Slide.</p>

<p>As far as teammates go, Drilbur is going to need two types of Pokemon: offensive Pokemon that appreciate entry hazards removed and bulky attackers that can take on Drilbur's checks. Murkrow, albeit one of the most feared and versatile Pokemon in Little Cup, despises Stealth Rock. Drilbur has no problem spinning away Stealth Rock, even if there's an enemy Misdreavus trying to spinblock. Larvesta, one of the premier Fighting-type checks in LC, has an even more crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, and is susceptible to Spikes and Toxic Spikes; have no fear, Drilbur is there to remove all three entry hazards. Drifloon, a great mixed attacker in Little Cup, also abhors Stealth Rock. I'm sure you get the point; Drilbur's spinning prowess ensures that any offensive Pokemon will not have to worry about entry hazards. Additionally, Drilbur has trouble against the myriad of Fighting-types in LC as they're generally bulkier than Drilbur and can fire back a strong attack. Thus, Larvesta and Drifloon are good Drilbur partners as they can switch into most Fighting-types with little fear, such as Mienfoo without Stone Edge. Because Water-types such as Chinchou and Staryu outspeed Drilbur, teammates that can defeat and switch into Water-types are also good partners; these include Snover, which appreciates the removal of Stealth Rock, Croagunk, and Ferroseed.</p>

<p>As far as moveset changes go, Drilbur doesn't have too many other options. Toxic is useful for crippling Lileep and Mienfoo, two common Drilbur switch-ins that can defeat the mole. Toxic should really only be used if your team is already utilizing another Stealth Rock user. Replacing Rock Slide leaves Drilbur vulnerable to Flying-types such as Murkrow while replacing Rapid Spin diminishes the usefulness of the set and is not playing to Drilbur's strength as an incredible offensive spinner. X-Scissor is useful for Shroomish, another common Drilbur switch-in that has no problem taking a Rock Slide and destroying Drilbur with Giga Drain, or putting it to sleep with Spore.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sand Force is gimmicky at best; Drilbur already has fantastic Attack, and it needs the Speed boost in order to garner kills. Jolly is almost not worth a mention; the only notable advantage is hitting the same Speed as Drifloon after it gains a boost via Unburden; most of the time, Drifloon will either straight up win that match up or Sucker Punch just to be safe. Substitute is worth a mention on almost any set, and a defensive set could even be vouched for wherein Drilbur repeatedly uses Substitute and Protect to wear down enemies. Toxic can be a nasty surprise for switch-ins such as Lileep and Snover, but a well built sandstorm team will almost always prefer an extra coverage move rather than the utility from such a move. The idea of using Drilbur's sweeper sets outside of sandstorm is gimmicky at best; Hippopotas simply does not show up in battles often enough to merit such a playstyle and there are bulkier set up sweepers such as Scraggy who function equally well under normal weather. A Swords Dance set with Mold Breaker can be used to muscle past Bronzor, but Sand Rush is almost always a superior option, even on teams without Hippopotas, as it's nicer to have the insurance against opposing sand teams.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Due to the sheer amount of damage Drilbur can do, it is not uncommon for teams to pack a slot dedicated to countering it. Bronzor is the most common choice, as it takes neutral damage from any of Drilbur's attacks at best, and possesses an immunity through Levitate to Drilbur's STAB. Grass-types are the next most common choice; Shroomish and Lileep can both take a hit pretty easily, and Ferroseed can typically come out on top against Drilbur despite lacking reliable recovery. Choice Scarf Snover will change the weather and then outspeed Drilbur, meaning that Hippopotas must be carefully guarded if one is against a Snover. Ponyta doesn't change the weather automatically, but it does have access to Sunny Day; unfortunately, it struggles to find a time to switch into Drilbur. Priority can wear down Life Orb variants of Drilbur rather quickly. Mienfoo and Croagunk can easily utilize Fake Out; Timburr has a powerful Mach Punch (especially at +1); Tirtouga has Sturdy, gains a Special Defense boost in sandstorm, and has Aqua Jet; Murkrow has STAB Sucker Punch. Bulky Water-types, such as Frillish and Slowpoke, can usually take on Drilbur if it is not packing Shadow Claw, and Unaware Wooper can cancel out Drilbur's boosts.</p><p>Due to the sheer amount of damage Drilbur can do, it is not uncommon for teams to pack a slot dedicated to countering it. Snover is without a doubt the most effective Pokemon for stopping Drilbur, as it can replace sandstorm with hail, and then, with a Choice Scarf, outspeed and OHKO it with Blizzard or Giga Drain. Eviolite variants of Snover can't outspeed the mole, but they can still switch in on Hippopotas to remove sandstorm, allowing another Pokemon to pick Drilbur off. Most other Grass-types fare well; Shroomish and Lileep can both take a hit pretty easily, and Ferroseed can typically come out on top against Drilbur despite lacking reliable recovery. Even Foongus does decently due to Regenerator, though it needs to be wary of taking boosted Earthquakes. Additionally, bulky Water-types, such as Frillish and Slowpoke, can usually take on Drilbur if it is not packing Shadow Claw, and Unaware Wooper can cancel out Drilbur's boosts.</p>

<p>Choice Scarf Porygon is an interesting choice, as with Trace it can copy Drilbur's Sand Rush ability, allowing it to outspeed and KO Drilbur with Ice Beam. Both Bronzor and Koffing can work somewhat, taking neutral damage at most from any of Drilbur's attacks and possessing an immunity to Drilbur's STAB thanks to Levitate. However, they have problems dealing significant damage to Drilbur and lack reliable recovery, meaning they'll be easily worn down over the course of the match; they're also useless against Mold Breaker Drilbur. Finally, priority can wear down Life Orb variants of Drilbur rather quickly. Mienfoo and Croagunk can easily utilize Fake Out, Timburr has a powerful Mach Punch (especially at +1), Tirtouga has Sturdy and Aqua Jet, and both Murkrow and Pawniard have STAB Sucker Punch.</p>

[Overview]

<p>Offensive sandstorm would mayhaps not be a viable strategy in Little Cup save for one Pokemon: Drilbur. Due to the ability Sand Rush, Drilbur is able to attain a blazing Speed stat, easily outpacing the entire boosted tier and most of the tier at +2. Its Attack stat also shows great potential, hitting the enviable stat of 19 when maxed. What's more, Drilbur has the vast movepool to back up such offensive prowess, including Swords Dance, Earthquake, Rapid Spin, and a whole mess of coverage moves. Indeed, it would seem that the mole would have a field day shredding the faces of cute little Pokemon, but the introduction of Eviolite has granted many baby behemoths even more defensive potential. While Drilbur is by no means a perfect Pokemon, it can bring massive utility and damage to all sandstorm-based teams, garnering revenge kills with ease and causing predictable moves on the opponent's part. Just remember, where there's a drill, there's a way.</p>

<p>Drilbur is essentially the big guns on a sandstorm team, and this set aims to make the most of that. With a whopping 32 Speed during the sandstorm, Drilbur has the potential to revenge kill a vast portion of the tier. This is backed up by a mammoth 19 Attack, which allows Drilbur's coverage options to really shine. Earthquake is undoubtedly Drilbur's best STAB move, denting opponents that do not resist it early-game and cleaning up late-game. X-Scissor allows Drilbur to badly damage common Grass-type switch-ins, such as Lileep, Snover, and Shroomish. It's also Drilbur's strongest attack against Bronzor. Alternatively, Rock Slide grants fantastic coverage alongside Earthquake, notably granting the OHKO on most Taillow and Doduo, along with any Choice Scarf Murkrow that are unable to Sucker Punch. Shadow Claw rounds out the coverage by nailing levitating Ghost-types, such as Misdreavus, Gastly, and even the occasional Duskull.</p>

<p>With such great three move coverage, Drilbur has some wiggle room for the final slot. Rapid Spin provides fantastic utility for the team and Drilbur itself, who is vulnerable to all three forms of entry hazards; such residual damage stacks up quite quickly in conjunction with Life Orb. However, Rock Slide can be used if Rapid Spin isn't needed and one doesn't want to choose between X-Scissor or Rock Slide.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>While one may desire to hit maximum Speed via a Jolly nature, Drilbur already outpaces the entire unboosted tier and greatly prefers the boost in power. The EV spread provides the most offensive potential possible, which is all Drilbur should really be concerned with when utilizing Life Orb. The last slot can obviously be manipulated to best suit the team; Protect can solve problems with Fake Out users, while Substitute can get around prediction wars against Murkrow.</p>

<p>Hippopotas is obviously a necessary teammate for this set, as Drilbur absolutely needs sandstorm support if it is going to pull off a sweep. Fortunately, Hippopotas can also provide Stealth Rock, which will prove useful in aiding the sweep. It also sponges hits from defensive Mienfoo quite nicely, making it an even more desirable teammate. Lileep is another good Pokemon for a sandstorm core, providing an immunity to Water-type attacks and a resistance to Grass-type attacks. Ferroseed works in a similar vein but typically sponges physical attacks instead of special ones. Vullaby can be a good defensive teammate, as can Slowpoke or Frillish, due to its ability to repeatedly switch in and take hits from defensive Pokemon; all three Pokemon can pack status moves such as Toxic, Thunder Wave, or Will-O-Wisp that will greatly aid a Drilbur sweep. Sandshrew, the only other LC Pokemon with Sand Rush, can be paired with Drilbur to form a powerful offensive duo. It can either lure out and weaken Drilbur's checks or clean up after Drilbur has done so for it.</p>

<p>As Snover is undoubtedly the biggest enemy to Drilbur&mdash;and to sandstorm teams as a whole&mdash;at least one Pokemon that can remove it is almost as necessary as Hippopotas. Pursuit users that aren't afraid of Snover are the best options. For example, Pawniard and Houndour both resist Blizzard and Giga Drain, and can either badly damage Snover with STAB Pursuit or KO it outright with Iron Head or Fire Blast respectively. Munchlax doesn't resist Giga Drain, but with Thick Fat and its special bulk it can easily tank Snover's attacks while attacking with either Fire Punch or Pursuit.</p>

<p>Swords Dance turns any Pokemon with incredible Speed and Attack into even more of a threat, and so this move is unquestionably a good option for Drilbur. While this Drilbur can easily spam Earthquake early game to do some nice damage, it really shines in the mid- to late-game phases, where one surprise Swords Dance can easily tip the scales in your favor. After a Swords Dance, Drilbur hits 38 Attack and 32 Speed, which dwarfs any other physical sweeper in the metagame. Drilbur can afford to use Eviolite with this, as well, in order to ensure a setup against a weaker or defensive Pokemon. With Earthquake and Rock Slide, Drilbur has the power and coverage to OHKO the vast majority of the tier after a single boost. Shadow Claw amplifies this effect, netting the OHKO on the otherwise problematic defensive Misdreavus. There are some other boons, as well, such as having a 100% accurate attack against Natu.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>Typically, this variant of Drilbur will have less time to Rapid Spin, so this move is typically foregone in favor of a coverage move. X-Scissor deserves a mention as an option in the last slot to lure in and eliminate the occasional Shroomish, but it is worth mentioning that Shroomish is nowhere near as common as Misdreavus. Protect is another fantastic option in the last slot, as it ensures that Mienfoo will not be able to repeatedly Fake Out&mdash;and take advantage of Regenerator in the process&mdash;to KO Drilbur. The core of a Water-type in conjunction with a Grass-type is a strong choice to provide a good defensive backing for Drilbur; either Slowpoke and Lileep or Ferroseed and Frillish is a good idea. Hippopotas is a necessity, as one cannot rely on the opponent to pack sandstorm if he or she wishes to consistently sweep with Drilbur. For this reason, Pokemon that can eliminate Snover are also important. Pawniard, Houndour, and Munchlax all deserve mention for their access to Pursuit and ability to tank Snover's more powerful attacks.</p>

<p>This specific Drilbur enjoys having teammates that can dent the opponent's team very early on. Murkrow is one of the best examples of this; with its great Speed, STABs, and movepool, the opponent will be forced to exhaust their physically defensive Pokemon rather early on, perhaps forcing them to remain in the range of a Drilbur KO. Pokemon with a slower U-turn or Volt Switch, such as Larvesta, minimum Speed Mienfoo, and Chinchou, also allow Drilbur to get the easy setup it desires. Sandshrew deserves a special mention, as it can run a similar set to the above with Sand Rush; when paired with Drilbur, Sandshrew can wear down its counters or clean up after it has been KOed.</p>

<p>Eviolite is typically not a problem if one is using three coverage moves, but if Protect is being used, one may want to consider Life Orb. Life Orb allows massive damage after a Swords Dance on neutral attacks, which can be useful against Misdreavus, who will fall to Rock Slide at +2 provided one can net about 20% in prior damage. Life Orb also guarantees the OHKO against maximum Defense Lileep, but this is useless if Drilbur cannot attain the Swords Dance that Eviolite would normally ensure.</p>

<p>Although Drilbur is generally found alongside its trusty partner, Hippopotas, it doesn't really need the hippo to succeed in Little Cup. Drilbur's excellent Attack stat, useful secondary ability, and Eviolite allow it to function and thrive without Sand Rush. Earthquake is a must on any Drilbur set. It's Drilbur's best STAB move and hits nearly all of LC hard; even Misdreavus and Bronzor are 2HKOed because Mold Breaker negates their Levitate ability. Rock Slide provides excellent neutral coverage alongside Earthquake, hitting Flying-type Pokemon such as Murkrow that are immune to Earthquake. Rock Slide is also useful for scoring a lucky flinch if needed. Rapid Spin is a useful move for clearing away entry hazards, ensuring that all of your Pokemon have an easier time switching in and out. With Mold Breaker, Drilbur can defeat Misdreavus and Natu, something no other Rapid Spin user in LC can do. Finally, Stealth Rock rounds off the set because Drilbur can force plenty of switches as most Pokemon are afraid of Earthquakes and Rock Slides from one of the most devastating and dominant Pokemon in Little Cup. Remember, unlike other Stealth Rock users, Drilbur doesn't have to fear Natu as Mold Breaker ignores the effects of Magic Bounce.</p>

[ADDITIONAL COMMENTS]

<p>As mentioned earlier, Mold Breaker is essential to this set's success. With Mold Breaker, Drilbur is able to defeat Pokemon such Misdreavus and Bronzor; the aforementioned Pokemon are not only common switch-ins to Drilbur, they're also both 2HKOed by Earthquake. The given EVs take advantage of Drilbur's good Speed and Attack stats, while Eviolite makes Drilbur bulkier. The given EVs and a Jolly nature ensure that Drilbur is able to Speed tie with neutral-natured Natu, standard Mienfoo, Scraggy, and Larvesta. Additionally, Drilbur can deal hefty damage to all of the aforementioned Pokemon with a STAB Earthquake, with the exception of Larvesta, which is OHKOed by Rock Slide.</p>

<p>As far as teammates go, Drilbur is going to need two types of Pokemon: offensive Pokemon that appreciate entry hazards removed and bulky attackers that can take on Drilbur's checks. Murkrow, albeit one of the most feared and versatile Pokemon in Little Cup, despises Stealth Rock. Drilbur has no problem spinning away Stealth Rock, even if there's an enemy Misdreavus trying to spinblock. Larvesta, one of the premier Fighting-type checks in LC, has an even more crippling weakness to Stealth Rock, and is susceptible to Spikes and Toxic Spikes; have no fear, Drilbur is there to remove all three entry hazards. Drifloon, a great mixed attacker in Little Cup, also abhors Stealth Rock. I'm sure you get the point; Drilbur's spinning prowess ensures that any offensive Pokemon will not have to worry about entry hazards. Additionally, Drilbur has trouble against the myriad of Fighting-types in LC as they're generally bulkier than Drilbur and can fire back a strong attack. Thus, Larvesta and Drifloon are good Drilbur partners as they can switch into most Fighting-types with little fear, such as Mienfoo without Stone Edge. Because Water-types such as Chinchou and Staryu outspeed Drilbur, teammates that can defeat and switch into Water-types are also good partners; these include Snover, which appreciates the removal of Stealth Rock, Croagunk, and Ferroseed.</p>

<p>As far as moveset changes go, Drilbur doesn't have too many other options. Toxic is useful for crippling Lileep and Mienfoo, two common Drilbur switch-ins that can defeat the mole. Toxic should really only be used if your team is already utilizing another Stealth Rock user. Replacing Rock Slide leaves Drilbur vulnerable to Flying-types such as Murkrow while replacing Rapid Spin diminishes the usefulness of the set and is not playing to Drilbur's strength as an incredible offensive spinner. X-Scissor is useful for Shroomish, another common Drilbur switch-in that has no problem taking a Rock Slide and destroying Drilbur with Giga Drain, or putting it to sleep with Spore.</p>

[Other Options]

<p>Sand Force is gimmicky at best; Drilbur already has fantastic Attack, and it needs the Speed boost in order to garner kills. Jolly is almost not worth a mention; the only notable advantage is hitting the same Speed as Drifloon after it gains a boost via Unburden; most of the time, Drifloon will either straight up win that match up or Sucker Punch just to be safe. Substitute is worth a mention on almost any set, and a defensive set could even be vouched for wherein Drilbur repeatedly uses Substitute and Protect to wear down enemies. Toxic can be a nasty surprise for switch-ins such as Lileep and Snover, but a well built sandstorm team will almost always prefer an extra coverage move rather than the utility from such a move. The idea of using Drilbur's sweeper sets outside of sandstorm is gimmicky at best; Hippopotas simply does not show up in battles often enough to merit such a playstyle and there are bulkier set up sweepers such as Scraggy who function equally well under normal weather. A Swords Dance set with Mold Breaker can be used to muscle past Bronzor, but Sand Rush is almost always a superior option, even on teams without Hippopotas, as it's nicer to have the insurance against opposing sand teams.</p>

[Checks and Counters]

<p>Due to the sheer amount of damage Drilbur can do, it is not uncommon for teams to pack a slot dedicated to countering it. Snover is without a doubt the most effective Pokemon for stopping Drilbur, as it can replace sandstorm with hail, and then, with a Choice Scarf, outspeed and OHKO it with Blizzard or Giga Drain. Eviolite variants of Snover can't outspeed the mole, but they can still switch in on Hippopotas to remove sandstorm, allowing another Pokemon to pick Drilbur off. Most other Grass-types fare well; Shroomish and Lileep can both take a hit pretty easily, and Ferroseed can typically come out on top against Drilbur despite lacking reliable recovery. Even Foongus does decently due to Regenerator, though it needs to be wary of taking boosted Earthquakes. Additionally, bulky Water-types, such as Frillish and Slowpoke, can usually take on Drilbur if it is not packing Shadow Claw, and Unaware Wooper can cancel out Drilbur's boosts.</p>

<p>Choice Scarf Porygon is an interesting choice, as with Trace it can copy Drilbur's Sand Rush ability, allowing it to outspeed and KO Drilbur with Ice Beam. Both Bronzor and Koffing can work somewhat, taking neutral damage at most from any of Drilbur's attacks and possessing an immunity to Drilbur's STAB thanks to Levitate. However, they have problems dealing significant damage to Drilbur and lack reliable recovery, meaning they'll be easily worn down over the course of the match; they're also useless against Mold Breaker Drilbur. Finally, priority can wear down Life Orb variants of Drilbur rather quickly. Mienfoo and Croagunk can easily utilize Fake Out, Timburr has a powerful Mach Punch (especially at +1), Tirtouga has Sturdy and Aqua Jet, and bothMurkrow and Pawniard have STAB Sucker Punch.</p>

Uhh feel free to comment on even the most minor of things, that's pretty much the point of this.

63194

Everything is written, took me longer than it should have -.- Look the changes over to see if there's anything that still needs tweaking.

As a note, I rewrote the checks and counters section, though I kept a lot of Ray Jay's original prose because I was lazy but also because it didn't need too much changing. I did remove Ponyta and add Koffing though.

Good morning, you bastards!

[box]X-Scissor allows Drilbur to badly damage common Grass-type switch-ins, such as Lileep, Snover, and Shroomish. It's also Drilbur's strongest attack against Bronzor.

However, Rock Slide can be used if Rapid Spin isn't wanted and one doesn't want to choose between X-Scissor or Rock Slide.

Sandshrew, the only other LC Pokemon with Sand Rush, can be paired with Drilbur to form a powerful offensive duo. It can either lure out and weaken Drilbur's checks, or clean up after Drilbur has done so for it.</p>

<p>As Snover is undoubtedly the biggest enemy to Drilbur&mdash;and to sandstorm teams as a whole&mdash;including at least one Pokemon that can remove it is almost as necessary as including Hippopotas is. Pursuit users that aren't afraid of Snover are the best options. For example, Pawniard and Houndour both resist Blizzard and Giga Drain, and can either badly damage Snover with STAB Pursuit, or outrightor KO it outright with Iron Head or Fire Blast, respectively. Munchlax doesn't resist Giga Drain, but with Thick Fat and its special bulk it can easily tank Snover's attacks while attacking with either Fire Punch or Pursuit.</p>Protect is another fantastic option in the last slot, as it ensures that Mienfoo will not be able to repeatedly Fake Out and take advantage of Regenerator <how does regenerator directly affect mienfoo's koing drilbur with fake out> to KO Drilbur.

For this reason, Pokemon to remove that can eliminate Snover are also important. Pawniard, Houndour, and Munchlax all deserve mention for their access to Pursuit and ability to tank Snover's more powerful attacks.</p>

<p>Sandshrew deserves a special mention, as with Sand Rush it can run a similar set to the above with Sand Rush;, so when paired with Drilbur, Sandshrewit can wear down Drilbur's its counters, or clean up after Drilbur is gone it has been KOed.</p>

A Swords Dance set with Mold Breaker can be used to muscle past Bronzor, however but Sand Rush is almost always a superior option, as even on teams without Hippopotas, as it's nicer to have the insurance against opposing sand teams.</p>

<p>Due to the sheer amount of damage Drilbur can do, it is not uncommon for teams to pack a slot dedicated to countering it. Snover is without a doubt the most effective Pokemon for stopping Drilbur, as with a Choice Scarf it can remove the sandstorm that Drilbur needs to sweep it can replace sandstorm with hail, and then, with a Choice Scarf, outspeed and OHKO it with Blizzard or Giga Drain. Eviolite variants of Snover can't outspeed the mole, but they can still switch in on Hippopotas to remove sandstorm, allowing another Pokemon to pick Drilbur off. Most other Grass-types fare well; Shroomish and Lileep can both take a hit pretty easily, and Ferroseed can typically come out on top against Drilbur despite lacking reliable recovery. Even Foongus does decently due to Regenerator, though it needs to be wary of taking boosted Earthquakes. Choice Scarf Porygon is an interesting choice, as with Trace it can copy Drilbur's Sand Rush ability, allowing it to outspeed and KO Drilbur with Ice Beam. Both Bronzor and Koffing can work somewhat, taking neutral damage from any of Drilbur's attacks at best, and possessing an immunity through Levitate to Drilbur's STAB. However, they have problems dealing significant damage to Drilbur and lack reliable recovery, meaning they'll be easily worn down over the course of the match;, and they're also useless against Mold Breaker Drilbur. Bulky Water-types, such as Frillish and Slowpoke, can usually take on Drilbur if it is not packing Shadow Claw, and Unaware Wooper can cancel out Drilbur's boosts. Finally, priority can wear down Life Orb variants of Drilbur rather quickly. Mienfoo and Croagunk can easily utilize Fake Out; Timburr has a powerful Mach Punch (especially at +1); Tirtouga has Sturdy and Aqua Jet; and both Murkrow and Pawniard have STAB Sucker Punch.</p> <seems kind of wall-of-text-ish - maybe split it into a paragraph of reliable counters and another one of shakier choices?[/box]

X-Scissor allows Drilbur to badly damage common Grass-type switch-ins, such as Lileep, Snover, and Shroomish. It's also Drilbur's strongest attack against Bronzor. Alternatively,

However, Rock Slide can be used if Rapid Spin isn't wanted needed and one doesn't want to choose between X-Scissor or Rock Slide.

Sandshrew, the only other LC Pokemon with Sand Rush, can be paired with Drilbur to form a powerful offensive duo. It can either lure out and weaken Drilbur's checks or clean up after Drilbur has done so for it.</p>

<p>As Snover is undoubtedly the biggest enemy to Drilbur&mdash;and to sandstorm teams as a whole&mdash;at least one Pokemon that can remove it is almost as necessary as Hippopotas is. Pursuit users that aren't afraid of Snover are the best options. For example, Pawniard and Houndour both resist Blizzard and Giga Drain, and can either badly damage Snover with STAB Pursuit or KO it outright with Iron Head or Fire Blast respectively. Munchlax doesn't resist Giga Drain, but with Thick Fat and its special bulk it can easily tank Snover's attacks while attacking with either Fire Punch or Pursuit.</p>

Protect is another fantastic option in the last slot, as it ensures that Mienfoo will not be able to repeatedly Fake Out&mdash;and take advantage of Regenerator in the process&mdash;to KO Drilbur.

For this reason, Pokemon that can eliminate Snover are also important. Pawniard, Houndour, and Munchlax all deserve mention for their access to Pursuit and ability to tank Snover's more powerful attacks.

Sandshrew deserves a special mention, as it can run a similar set to the above with Sand Rush; when paired with Drilbur, Sandshrew can wear down its counters or clean up after it has been KOed.

A Swords Dance set with Mold Breaker can be used to muscle past Bronzor, but Sand Rush is almost always a superior option, even on teams without Hippopotas, as it's nicer to have the insurance against opposing sand teams.

<p>Due to the sheer amount of damage Drilbur can do, it is not uncommon for teams to pack a slot dedicated to countering it. Snover is without a doubt the most effective Pokemon for stopping Drilbur, as it can replace sandstorm with hail, and then, with a Choice Scarf, outspeed and OHKO it with Blizzard or Giga Drain. Eviolite variants of Snover can't outspeed the mole, but they can still switch in on Hippopotas to remove sandstorm, allowing another Pokemon to pick Drilbur off. Most other Grass-types fare well; Shroomish and Lileep can both take a hit pretty easily, and Ferroseed can typically come out on top against Drilbur despite lacking reliable recovery. Even Foongus does decently due to Regenerator, though it needs to be wary of taking boosted Earthquakes. Additionally, bulky Water-types, such as Frillish and Slowpoke, can usually take on Drilbur if it is not packing Shadow Claw, and Unaware Wooper can cancel out Drilbur's boosts.</p>

<p>Choice Scarf Porygon is an interesting choice, as with Trace it can copy Drilbur's Sand Rush ability, allowing it to outspeed and KO Drilbur with Ice Beam. Both Bronzor and Koffing can work somewhat, taking neutral damage at most from any of Drilbur's attacks at best, and possessing an immunity through Levitate to Drilbur's STAB thanks to Levitate. However, they have problems dealing significant damage to Drilbur and lack reliable recovery, meaning they'll be easily worn down over the course of the match; they're also useless against Mold Breaker Drilbur. Finally, priority can wear down Life Orb variants of Drilbur rather quickly. Mienfoo and Croagunk can easily utilize Fake Out,(comma) Timburr has a powerful Mach Punch (especially at +1),(comma) Tirtouga has Sturdy and Aqua Jet,(comma) and both Murkrow and Pawniard have STAB Sucker Punch.(you only need semicolons for complex lists that use commas in the list items)</p>